Firm on Beer

Gov. George Deukmejian once again has stood firm in his commitment to a free market, vetoing legislation that would have granted the sanction of the law to guarantee beer distribution monopolies. Two years ago the governor used his veto to protect consumers from another legislative excess that would have legalized monopolies on fancy wine imports.

The governor’s firmness contrasts with the vulnerability of the Legislature to well-funded special-interest campaigns--a circumstance that has led Common Cause to mount a new effort to control campaign contributions. Beer wholesalers have contributed an estimated $500,000 to legislative campaigns since 1985. They have sought to depict beer monopolies as a benign device to protect mom-and-pop grocery stores--a deception that, happily, did not persuade the governor.